Our Raison D’etre

Our Raison D’etre

Tchoup Industries’ mission is to build bags that support our Southern Louisiana community, that have a reduced impact on our natural environment, and that instill a spirit of exploration.

SUPPORTING LOCAL COMMUNITY

We are passionate about using the synergies and resources of our thriving local community to produce relevant, socially-conscious products.

Local Materials

Our materials are sourced as close to New Orleans as possible, and entirely within the U.S. (see“Our Materials” for more info). We take pride in tapping into unique Louisiana resources such as hand-woven fabrics, alligator leathers, repurposed rice bags, nutria fur, and custom metal manufacturing. Most of these materials come from small or family-run businesses and we’re happy to support our local network through these purchases.

Local Talent

Our passion for our community is also why we rely entirely on local creative talent for our web design, marketing, and photography. Our core team currently consists of 5 New Orleans residents. As our business grows, we are committed, in turn, to creating even more local job opportunities.

CONSIDERING THE ENVIRONMENT

We are fully aware of the catastrophic effects of oil on our natural environment in Southern Louisiana (see: the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010). This is why we opt to use as many repurposed, natural, and eco-conscious materials as possible to create our products.

Natural vs. Synthetic Materials

Our most common materials for Tchoup products are cotton fibers and animal leathers. Some people may think that vegetarian choices should go hand-in-hand with environmentally sensitive stories, but we disagree; vegan leathers and yarns are usually made from synthetic (plastic, polymer-based) components. We would much rather choose naturally grown materials over oil-based – especially when we have such a rich history and tradition of fur and leather industry at our fingertips.

Repurposed Materials

Our repurposed materials currently include webbing strap that has been rejected by the auto industry, misprinted rice bags, discarded wool curtains, irreparable boat sails, and more. We are proud to turn these materials into functional bags and accessories, instead of letting them go to waste in overcrowded landfills.

ENCOURAGING EXPLORATION

Exploring is about being curious for knowledge in a physically active way. We believe an explorative spirit can provide opportunities for understanding and conscious self-awareness. Through building durable packs and travel bags, it is our goal to inspire a sense of exploration in everyone.

Our Mascot

Pierre-Esprit Radisson (1630-1710) was a French Louisiana Courier des Bois, fur trapper and explorer. Now (thanks to the illustration skills of our sewer, Ursa Eyer) he is our Tchoup Industries mascot, proudly displaying our backpacks at local festival events, and inspiring us to adventure through our natural surroundings.

Our Visionary

Tchoup Industries was founded by Patti Dunn, a 10-year veteran pack and luggage designer for the outdoor industry. Most of her past projects for clients used off shore manufacturing. While she can pull from lessons learned in pack design and user testing from this experience, she takes pride in blazing new trails in domestic sourcing and manufacturing for designing the current Tchoup Industries collection.